Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

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Equal parts Lois Lane, J. Jonah Jameson and Vicki Vale, Zak! has traveled from coast-to-coast covering small and big town community news in both in print and online for nearly a decade since his graduation from the award-winning Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in 2010.

Before settling into the Hudson Valley, Zak! previously spent time in the New York Daily News newsroom and worked for hyperlocal digital news outlets on Long Island. He wrote sports for The Ithacan and The Ithaca Journal before taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest, where he served as the sports editor at the Shoshone News-Press until heading back east to work with Daily Voice.

Zak Failla's Contributions

Lusby, MD
Breaking News
Lusby Teen Getaway Driver Guilty Of Robbery That Left Woman Shot In Back: State's Attorney Lusby Teen Getaway Driver Guilty Of Robbery That Left Woman Shot In Back: State's Attorney Lusby Teen Getaway Driver Guilty Of Robbery That Left Woman Shot In Back: State's Attorney
Lusby Teen Getaway Driver Guilty Of Robbery That Left Woman Shot In Back: State's Attorney A Maryland jury has convicted a Lusby teenager who helped plan a daytime robbery that ended with a woman shot in the back — a crime prosecutors said nearly turned fatal. Steven Anthony Gilner, 19, was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder and related charges following a five-day trial in Calvert County, according to the state's attorney's office. Deputies were called to the 700 block of Spruce Drive in Lusby around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 5, 2025, after a driver pulled up and told a passerby that she had just been shot on nearby Field Road in Lusby, according to the Calvert Cou…

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by Zak Failla
Aldie, VA
Your Community
Snow Day, Take Two: Schools Closed Again In Loudoun County As Winter Weather Lingers Snow Day, Take Two: Schools Closed Again In Loudoun County As Winter Weather Lingers Snow Day, Take Two: Schools Closed Again In Loudoun County As Winter Weather Lingers
Snow Day, Take Two: Schools Closed Again In Loudoun County As Winter Weather Lingers For students already perfecting their snow-day routines, the winter break from the classroom isn’t over just yet. Students in some DC, Maryland, and Virginia schools will enjoy a rare two-day snow day, as several closures were announced early on Monday regarding classes on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Some will even have most of the rest of the week off as a precaution. Nearly a foot of powder covered the region over the weekend, with frigid temperatures following to create a veritable hellscape of snow and ice on area roadways as crews worked around the clock to safely clear the area. Among the sch…

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by Zak Failla
Suitland, MD
Breaking News
Suitland Shooter Accused Of Killing Man In Argument Captured Hundreds Of Miles Away, Police Say Suitland Shooter Accused Of Killing Man In Argument Captured Hundreds Of Miles Away, Police Say Suitland Shooter Accused Of Killing Man In Argument Captured Hundreds Of Miles Away, Police Say
Suitland Shooter Accused Of Killing Man In Argument Captured Hundreds Of Miles Away, Police Say A gunman who shot and killed his victim during an argument in Maryland was apprehended hundreds of miles away by federal authorities, officials say. Joshua Dawson, 32, has been identified and apprehended in South Carolina more than a week after 32-year-old Brandon Foulks was found shot to death in Suitland, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. Both men are from Suitland. Police say that at around 11:20 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18, officers were called to the 3900 block of Suitland Road, where they found Foulks suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dea…

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Quick-Thinking Neighbor Saves Family As Fast-Moving Two-Alarm Fire Destroys Maryland Home Quick-Thinking Neighbor Saves Family As Fast-Moving Two-Alarm Fire Destroys Maryland Home Quick-Thinking Neighbor Saves Family As Fast-Moving Two-Alarm Fire Destroys Maryland Home
Quick-Thinking Neighbor Saves Family As Fast-Moving Two-Alarm Fire Destroys Maryland Home A quick-thinking neighbor helped save a Maryland family after spotting a fire and alerting them just in time to escape a fast-moving, two-alarm blaze that destroyed an Easton home. The fire erupted in a two-story, single-family house with an attached garage in the 29000 block of Country Way Lane in Easton, Talbot County, on Saturday, Jan. 24, at about 7:28 p.m., according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal. Investigators said the neighbor noticed the fire and managed to warn the family inside, allowing them to get out safely as flames spread through the home. When Easton Volunteer Fire Dep…

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
On Your Side
Campestre Chicken Shuttered After Grease Fire Causes $30K Damage In Silver Spring Campestre Chicken Shuttered After Grease Fire Causes $30K Damage In Silver Spring Campestre Chicken Shuttered After Grease Fire Causes $30K Damage In Silver Spring
Campestre Chicken Shuttered After Grease Fire Causes $30K Damage In Silver Spring A grease fire brought service to a sudden stop at Campestre Chicken on Saturday night, forcing the Maryland restaurant to close after heavy smoke and water damage. The fire in the ductwork of the kitchen at the popular eatery was reported shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 24, when crews rushed to the restaurant at the Maryland Farms Shopping Center on Cherry Hill Road, officials said. Campestre Chicken GoFundMe Firefighters were able to knock down the flames at the chicken joint, which sits in a shopping center split between Montgomery and Prince George's counties, but not before it ca…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
22 Charges, 11 Incidents: Maryland Man Went On Wild Arlington Crime Spree, Police Say 22 Charges, 11 Incidents: Maryland Man Went On Wild Arlington Crime Spree, Police Say 22 Charges, 11 Incidents: Maryland Man Went On Wild Arlington Crime Spree, Police Say
22 Charges, 11 Incidents: Maryland Man Went On Wild Arlington Crime Spree, Police Say A Maryland man who crossed state lines during a wild crime spree was arrested after being apprehended by authorities in Virginia. Waldorf resident Duane Barnes, 34, is facing nearly two dozen criminal charges following 11 incidents that were reported in Arlington, according to police. The alleged incidents highlighted by the Arlington Police Department include: At approximately 3:36 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2025, police were dispatched to the 2400 block of N. Underwood Street for the report of a residential burglary. The suspect forced entry into the home and stole electronics and jewelry before …

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Fredericksburg Church Usher Arrested On Multiple Child Pornography Charges (DEVELOPING) Fredericksburg Church Usher Arrested On Multiple Child Pornography Charges (DEVELOPING) Fredericksburg Church Usher Arrested On Multiple Child Pornography Charges (DEVELOPING)
Fredericksburg Church Usher Arrested On Multiple Child Pornography Charges (Developing) A volunteer usher at a Fredericksburg Catholic church has been arrested and charged on multiple counts relating to child pornography, the Catholic Diocese of Arlington announced. The diocese said the individual was an active parishioner who volunteered as an usher at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Fredericksburg, according to a statement released over the weekend. Church officials said they are not aware of any illegal activity that occurred on parish grounds. The diocese encouraged anyone with knowledge of abuse or misconduct involving any cleric, employee, or volunteer to immed…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Weather
'Snow: 1, Police Cruiser: 0' — Firefighters In Arlington Get The Assist (PHOTOS) 'Snow: 1, Police Cruiser: 0' — Firefighters In Arlington Get The Assist (PHOTOS) 'Snow: 1, Police Cruiser: 0' — Firefighters In Arlington Get The Assist (PHOTOS)
'Snow: 1, Police Cruiser: 0' — Firefighters In Arlington Get The Assist (Photos) Snow had its moments in Virginia this weekend — but firefighters and police made sure it didn’t win the day in Arlington. As winter weather blanketed Arlington County, Fire & EMS crews and police officers were repeatedly spotted jumping in to help each other, stranded drivers, and residents navigate slick streets and heavy snow, according to posts shared by the departments. The snow in Arlington didn't get anyone down. Arlington Police Department In one widely shared moment, Arlington Fire & EMS crews were photographed pushing a stuck Arlington County Police SUV free fro…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
WATCH: Firefighters Charge Into Smoke-Filled Home As Snow, Ice Bear Down On Fredericksburg WATCH: Firefighters Charge Into Smoke-Filled Home As Snow, Ice Bear Down On Fredericksburg WATCH: Firefighters Charge Into Smoke-Filled Home As Snow, Ice Bear Down On Fredericksburg
Watch: Firefighters Charge Into Smoke-Filled Home As Snow, Ice Bear Down On Fredericksburg Firefighters didn’t ease into this one. Body-worn camera footage shows crews pulling hose lines from the truck, testing pressure in the front yard, and charging straight into a smoke-filled Fredericksburg home as snow and ice turned the street into a hazard zone on Sunday, Jan. 25. The video, released by the Fredericksburg Fire Department, captures the first moments of a structure fire response as firefighters arrive to find heavy smoke on the first floor and icy conditions all around the home, Virginia officials said. One firefighter is seen dragging hose from the engine into the yard,…

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Charles County Jury Convicts Caregiver Of Sexually Abusing Boy He Was Trusted To Protect Charles County Jury Convicts Caregiver Of Sexually Abusing Boy He Was Trusted To Protect Charles County Jury Convicts Caregiver Of Sexually Abusing Boy He Was Trusted To Protect
Charles County Jury Convicts Caregiver Of Sexually Abusing Boy He Was Trusted To Protect A Maryland jury did not take long to find a man guilty of sexually abusing a minor while taking care of him, prosecutors announced. Tristan Thigpen, 40, was convicted following a five-day trial of sexually abusing a minor in Charles County while responsible for the boy’s care in Waldorf years ago, according to the state's attorney's office. In February 2021, a detective with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office received a Child Protective Services Intake report from Prince George’s County regarding allegations of sex abuse. During that investigation, prosecutors say the underage victim…

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by Zak Failla
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